(From company literature) SLIK Compact-XL. Sometimes a full sized tripod is more than you need or too much to handle, especially when traveling on vacation. SLIK answers your camera support needs with the Compact-XL tripod.

With a folded length of less than 16 inches and a weight of less than 1.5lbs, the Compact-XL can travel easily in almost any suitcase. The Compact-XL trumps the mini-pods class by having a maximum operating height of 43 inches, getting the camera up off the ground. Perfect for compact digital and film cameras, it can hold up to 2.75 lbs.

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: None indicated| Rating: 7

Pros:

Fairly light

Cons:

Everything else?

I don't remember what I payed for this. It wasn't a huge amount. 80-90% of my photography is on hikes. As such I don't like heavy things (hence 400D and so on see other reviews).

I learned about this tripod in my film days (I was shooting a Canon A-1 then), on photo.net I think. Anyway I was after an inexpensive tripod that was light weight. This was it. In fact it really still is it. The Gitzo Mountaineer stuff might be better but its not always lighter and it defiantly not inexpensive.

This tripod's main duty is really for shooting water, or something else I want a speed longer than 1/15 or so for. It does that job pretty well. When I place it in a odd position I hold one of the legs firmly onto the ground after putting the camera on mirror lock up and timer.

I got some sand in it using it in the ocean to get pictures on a beech in New Zealand, that's made it a bit annoying. I think I might get a Mini Pro next, as the lack of a ball head is somewhat annoying on this one and I mostly need to make a rock flat rather than have the camera eye level.

Stability is somewhat an issue if you fully extend this tripod, but that isn't something I do often. I mostly use it to make a flat spot or get the camera above the water.

Ross_Alford

Registered: October 2005Posts: 36

SLIK Compact-XL review by Ross_Alford

Review Date: 12/29/2006

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: None indicated| Rating: 8

Pros:

A tripod you are likely to actually have with you when you need one

Cons:

Probably bettered by more modern designs by other manufacturers

I have an older version of the compact, have had it since the early 1990s. It is moderately stable, and stability can be improved by the old trick of hanging a camera bag below the tripod. It only extends to a medium height, and extending the center column detracts from stability. The rotating-collar leg locks can be annoying to use; they are slow to operate, and it's hard to be certain when they are locked in position.

The head feels relatively flimsy, particularly when you use the sideways tilt. It also has a very aanoying tendency to change the tilt angle as you tighten the control, and to change the rotation angle as you tighten that control.

All of those negatives or qualified positives out of the way, though, and there are a couple of really big positives: it doesn't cost a lot of money, and it is small and light enough to take with you, even when you are travelling light. That means you may actually have it with you when opportunities come up for photos that cannot be taken without a tripod. An example of that, taken with my old compact model: